Transfer and method of making the same



INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

llllllllllllllll'xll R. G. TONGE TRANSFER AND METHOD oF MAKING THE SAME Filed Jan. 29, 1929 Feb. 28, 1933.

Patented Feb. 28, 1933 1,899,066

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROSS GILBERT TONGE, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA TRANSFER AND METHOD F MAKING THE SAME Application iled January 29, 1929. Serial No. 335,942.

This invention relates to transfers such design which carries the adhesive will be as are used in transferring any desired printturned toward the surface upon Which the ed or painted design to a suitable display design is to appear, in order that the transsurface, and the invention embodies a simfer may be securely fixed to said display surple and economical method of manufacturface by means of the adhesive. 55 ing a transfer which possesses marked ad- It 1s a still further object of the invention vantages over the usual decalcomania. to adapt the film-hke transfer for mounting It is a particular object of the invention Y on a protecting backing for convenience in to provide a transfer which eliminates the shipping and handling the transfer until necessity of soaking or` moistening a decalsuch time as it is to be used, the said backi0 coinania paper backing for removing the ing however being readily removable Vfrom same from the printed or painted design the film-like transfer Without the use of moiswhich it is desired to apply to a display surture or other delicate manipulation, so that face, this result being accomplished by malithe transfer may be easily stripped from its ing a transfer wherein the desired design 1s backing for applying to the display surface 65 not painted or printed upon decalcomanla only the film-like structure Which constitutes paper as in the usual pract1ce, but comprises the permanently applied design. Simply one 0r more coats of paint or printing It is a still further object of the invention on a transparent film of a suitable carryto manufacture the transfer by applying to ing medium which forms a permanent part a suitable base a film of the vtransparent maof the transferred design. The transfer is terial which is to form the carrying medium therefore simply an integral film-like strucfor the one or more coats of paint or printture comprising the desired design on a ing constituting the finished design, the said transparent film of a carrying medium, with base and the transparent carrying medium said film-like structure of sufficient body to being materials which Will adhere sufficiently 75 permit it being conveniently handled and to prevent accidental disengagement but applied to a desired surface Without the d efreely permit intentional stripping of the sign beiner first formed on a decalcomania finished film-like transfer from the base. paper bac ring such as must be subsequently After the film of the transparent carrying removed from the transferred design by the medium has dried, the desired design is 80 use of moisture. printed or painted on this film, With prefer- It is a further object of the invention to ably a final coat of paint overlying the back construct the film-like transfer so that the of the entire transfer, and a coating of a transparent coating which forms a permasuitable adhesive may then be applied to the nent part of the transferred design and which back of the transfer if so desired. The re- 85 or more coats of paint or printing will overor more coats of paint or printing constitutlie the painted or printed design when the ing the desired desigmtogether With the filmtransfer to a suitable-surface has been made, like coating of the transparent carrying me- 40 and will thus aord permanent protection dium, thus forms an integral transfer which 90 for the transferred design. is adapted for ready removal from the base It is a still further object of the invention in order that only the film-like structure to provide a suitable adhesive`r when so dewhich is to remain as the permanently apsired, at that face of the film-like transfer plied transfer need be handled When applywhich is opposite the face coated with the ing the same to a desired display surface, and J5 transparent carrying medium, so that when in practice the film-like transfer may be left the face of the transferred design which has on the base until the transfer is to be used, so the transparent protecting coating is turned that the commercial product will be an inteuppermost in order to protect the transferred gral film-like transfer readily disengageably design, the opposite face of the transferred mounted on a protecting backing, or the 100 comprises the carrying medium for the one sulting film-like product comprising the one transfer may be stripped from the base at the time of manufacture in order that the finished commercial roduct will be simply the transfer film rea y for use and without a protecting backing.

The invention will be readily understood from the following description of the accompanying drawin in which:

Fig. 1 shows t e transfer on a protecting backing and partially stripped therefrom.

Fig. 2 shows the transfer applied toa suitable display surface.

Fig. 3 1s an enlarged vertical section through the transfer mounted on its protectin backing.

iig. 4 is a similar view showing the transfer applied to a display surface of irregular contour.

The transfer is a film-like structure comprising a transparent coating 1 of a suitable carrying medium having a desired design reversel printed or painted thereon as indicated v the printing 2 and the one or more coats of paint of contrasting color as shown at 3 and 4, together with a backing coating of paint 5 preferabl overlying the entire transfer, and a suitab e adhesive 6 applied to the backin coating 5 if so desired. This integral fi m-like structure is adapted to be aplied to a suitable display sur ace A with lts hacking coating 5 against the display surface and the transparent coating 1 overlying the printed or painted design which thus appears in normal or unreversed position as shown in Fig. 2; and in appl 'ng the filmlike transfer it is first strippe from a suitable base 7 upon which 1t is formed, and which may be used as a protecting backing fosrd the transfer until such time as 1t is to be u The entire film-like structure which is applied to the display surface A remains permanently fixed thereto, without the necessit of applying moisture for removing a deca comania paper backing as is the practice with ordinary transfers, and this lntegral film-like structure which constitutes the transferred design, and which may be hanf dled and applied without the presence of a paper backin is thus readily flexible for following an fitting snugly against any irregularities in the display surface A as shown in Fig. 4, a result impossible to obtain with an ordinary transfer having a decalcomania paper hacking such as cannot be made of sufiicient flexibility to lie smoothly against any other than a fiat display surface.

In Fig. 1 the base 7 is shown as remaining fixed to the integral film-like transfer until such time as the latter is to be used, in order to provide a protecting backing which is stripped from the transfer prior to its use, but if desired the transfer may be stripped from the base 7 as soon as manufacture is completed, so that simply the film-like transfer without a protecting backin constitutes the commercial product adapte for transortation and application to a display surace. With either method of use the coating of transparent carrying medium which constitutes an integral art of the film-like transfer, is first applierf) to the base 7 when the transfer is being manufactured, and the base 7 and the coating 1 are of materials adapted to adhere sufficiently to prevent accidental displacement of the finished transfer, in order that the base may form a protecting backing constituting a part of the commercial product until such time as the transfer is to be used, but the said materials which are used for base 7 and the coating l are such as to permit ready intentional stripping of the film-like transfer from thc base without the use of moisture or other delicate manipulation, in order to provide a transfer free of any extraneous backing and comprising an integral film-like structure adapted to remain as a permanent unit when fixed to a desired display surface.

In manufacturing the transfer a thin film of thc carrying medium 1 is applied to the base 7, and for the desired subsequent free stripping of the transfer from the base the coating 1 may be of celluloid and the surface of base 7 receiving said coating ma. be of wax, thus insuring a freely releasa le adherence permitting the film of celluloid being readily stripped from the wax. The wax surface for the base 7 may be a suitably applied wax coating on a paper or cardboard foundation, or the base may be a suitably wax impregnated cardboard presenting the desired waxy surface. The ce luloid is preferably in liquid form for applying a thin film coating by the use of either an air brush or a squeegee, and in practice scrap celluloid, such as motion picture film trimmings may be used, with the scrap celluloid suitably reduced to liquid form, as for example by the use of acetone.

When the film of celluloid has dried on the base 7, the desired design is reversely formed on this celluloid coating, and may comprise either printing or paint, or a combination thereof with any desired contrasting color effect. If any of the design is to appear in ink, that portion of the design is first reversely printed on the celluloid so as to form an ink coating such as is shown at 2, and if the design includes one or more colors, successive coats of paint 3 4 of the desired different colors are then applied to the celluloid film over any print-ing 2, with the variously colored coats of paint occupying their res ctive ortions of the reversed design. e bac ing coat of paint 5 is then preferably applied so as to overlie the entire transfer and form a background for the design when it is subsequently displayed in non-reversed position, and if design,

sired a final coating of a suitable adhesive 6 may be applied to the backing coating 5, the said adhesive being preferably any usual well-known suitably retarded glue or the like such as will normally be non-sticky for convenience in handling the transfer, but which is adapted when moistened to firmly adhere to the display surface A for securing the transfer thereon.

The transparent film 1 carrying the coats of ink and painting forming the reversed design, together with the backing coat 5 and the adhesive 6 when such are employed, thus forms an integral film-like structure which may be readily stripped from base 7 as a result of the contacting surfaces of wax and celluloid and this film-like structure has a body su ciently tough and durable to permit it being readily handled and applied to the display surface A with the film 1 uppermost and the design consequently showing through the transparent film in non-reversed or normal position as shown in Fig. 2. The transfer is secured to the display surface by first moistening its adhesive backing 6, or if no adhesive backing is provided on the transfer the display surface A may first have a suitable adhesive such as a varnish applied thereto for engaging the back of the transfer. The design when thus aplied to the'display surface A is protected y the overlying film of celluloid 1 which remains as a permanent part of the transferred design as shown in ig. 4.

As a result of the ready stripping of the transfer lfrom base 7, together with the durability of the film-like transfer even when removed from its base, the stripped transfer without any protecting backing comprises a practical commercial product, but if desired the transfer may be left on the base 7 which thus forms a protecting backing until the transfer is to be used, at which time the relatively thick cardboard backing may be readily engaged and stripped from the transfer, without the use of moisture and without the tedious manipulations involved in using av usual decalcomania having a protecting backing which must be stripped from the surface of the decalcomania paper carrying the deand in which usual construction the protecting backing and the decalcomania paper are of such thin material and so tightly adhere as to require appreciable skill in disengaging the same.

The transfer as thus described may be either opaque or transparent as determined by the use of suitable transparent or opaque paints on the transparent film coating 1, and when formed of transparent paint the transfer may thus provide a usual transparency adapted for mounting on a transparent display surface.

The transfer by reason of its make-up comprising simply the celluloid film 1 carrying the desired design and without the use of decalcomania paper, is readily fiexible and adapted to follow the contour of any irregular display surface such as is shown 1n Fig. 4, and to increase the fiexibilty of the transfer, the celluloid film 1 and the paints and ink which are employed in making the design, may be suitably treated to insure maximum fiexibility. Various ingredients for thus increasing fiexibility may be employed and are well known in the art so that no detailed description thereof is necessary, it being noted however that the celluloid when reduced to a liquid by the use of acetone may advantageously have dibutyl phthalate castor oil and damar gum mixed therewith to insure a smooth, clearly transparent and readily flexible film coating, and that the paints and ink for making the design may have linseed oil mixed therewith for insuring the desired flexibility, it having been found in practice that refined linseed oil treated with violet rays is particularly efficient for the purpose described.

Such mixing of paints and the like with linseed oil treated with violet rays in order to increase their flexibility is well known in the art and therefore need not be specifically described, the process having been previously used in the patent leather industry where the violet ray treated linseed oil of high viscosity is known as vacuum polymerized oil. The herein specifically described treatment of celluloid is also well known in the art, the formulas which have been actually used being 10 oz. of clear celluloid scrap film dissolved in 1 gal. of commercial acetone to which 1 qt. of ethyl acetate has been added for expediting dissolution, and the plastisizer which is then added for desired smoothness and flexibility comprising 5 oz. of dibutyl phthalate, 4 oz. of damar gum (lacquer damar), and 2 oz. of blown castor oil.

The wax paper used as a base upon which the transfer is to be formed, has in practice been a usual heavy kraft paper impregnated with a suitable wax and forming the product which is commercially used as a liner for vegetable crates, etc.; and in applying the coating of celluloid to the wax paper base the latter is preferably extended at one edge beyond the outline of the completed design as shown by broken lines at 7 a in Fig. 1, and the film of celluloid is preferably mitially extended beyond the outline of the completed design but not quite to the edge 7 a of its base as shown by broken lines at l", so that after the completed design has dried on its backing the uneven edges laa may be trimmed ofi along the edge 20 of the design by means of a suitable die, thereby removing those portions of the edges of the celluloid film and its finished product which will have a maximum thickness of both the backing and the unitary structure constituting the transferable desi for convenience in readily engaging 3 said edge of the transfer and stripping the transfer from its backing.

The application of the celluloid film to the backing 7 and the subsequent ap lication of one or more coats of variously co ored paints 10 so as to produce the desired design may be by 'any usual process, preferably the welllmown silk screen printing process wherein stencil sheets of silk bolting cloth are successively employed for aplying the respective 15 colors to the correspon ing portions of the design. y y

'II'lhim :thod 'f aking d lying' e me o m an app a transfer, which consists in coating a waxed go surface of a relativel stron but flexible bac sheet with a of ce uloid, forming a esign on the exposed surface of the film when the film has dried, wherebythe design carrying film and backing sheet are g5 adapted for h andlin and transportation as a iiexible unit with t e design carrying lm protected bythe backing sheet; strip ing the design ca 'ng lilm from the wax surface of the backing sheet while dry and just prior 'a0 to use of the design carrying film, and handling the dry design carrying film independently of any backlng for mounting the same on a d' lay surface so as to disp ay the design wlili the film overlying the same and as remaining as a permanent part of the transfer. l

In testimony whereof he has aiiixed his signature. I A ROSS GILBERT TONGE. 40 

